The 50th anniversary mid-winter census of wintering waterfowl in Bulgaria will be held from 15 to 18 January 2026. The aim is to establish the number of wintering birds in Bulgaria in the most important water bodies and territories for them.

The mid-winter census is carried out within the framework of the National System for Monitoring the Status of Biodiversity (NSMSBD) and is organized by the Executive Environment Agency (EEA) together with partner civil and scientific organizations and volunteers.

During the same period, birds will be counted in almost all European countries and in countries in North Africa and the Middle East. In Bulgaria, over 320 wetlands will be covered throughout the country, which include the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, rivers, dams, lakes, swamps, fishponds, etc., where waterfowl winter.

The field work will involve employees of the Environment Agency, experts from the non-governmental sector - the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB), the NGOs "Green Balkans" and "Nature Conservation Community", experts from the Regional Inspectorates for Environment and Water, national and natural parks, scientists from the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research (IBEI) at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, members of the Union of Hunters and Fishermen, teachers, students, and volunteers.

Detailed information on the data collection methodology can be found on the website of the EEA – https://eea.government.bg/bg/bio/nsmbr/praktichesko-rakovodstvo-metodiki-za-monitoring-i-otsenka/Metodika_monitoring_zimuvashti_ptitsi.pdf

An electronic form for filling in census data can be downloaded from https://eea.government.bg/bg/bio/nsmbr/practical-guidance/ptitsi/ptitsiformszp_21.xls.

After the monitoring is completed, the field forms with data from the survey of wetlands in our country will be entered into the Information System of the National Biodiversity Monitoring System.

Data from the mid-winter census of wintering waterfowl are reported annually to the international organization for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands Wetlands International - the only organization worldwide dedicated to the conservation and restoration of wetlands. The census data are also used to prepare the reports under Article 12 of the Birds Directive, which is prepared every six years.

The collected information is key to determining the indicator "Change in the number of wintering waterbirds in Bulgaria", which tracks trends in the number of wintering waterbirds in the country. The indicator is included in the biodiversity section of the National Report on the State and Protection of the Environment in the Republic of Bulgaria, which is prepared annually by the EEA. Information about it is available on the EEA website at the following link: https://eea.government.bg/soer-25 in the Biodiversity section, under National Ecological Network.

Thanks to the partnership with the scientific community and civil society, the mid-winter census allows tracking trends in the number of wintering waterbirds and is an important tool for the protection of their habitats.

The annual coordinated census of waterbirds started in 1967 and is not only one of the oldest, but also one of the most important scientific initiatives in the world. It unites the efforts of scientists and citizens to monitor the condition of birds and their habitats. Bulgaria has been an active participant in this initiative for 50 years, joining for the first time in 1977.